Thank You Best Buy. Customer Service Wins…

07Oct

This week was interesting.

I received a phone call from a friend who asked me, “Reid what was one of your latest sins.” Interesting question, if one doesn’t have a close relationship, but for accountability sake… it’s the right question to ask once in a while.

Mine was easy to identify and I honestly fessed up.

“I lost my temper at Best Buy this week and drove home totally unraveled.”

What happened?

I turned my new SLR camera, purchased in Feb ’11, to Best Buy for a general cleaning back in September. We came home from 2 months in Panama and I figured that a general cleaning was in order. They took a month to call back, and their answer was disheartening.

“We can refund your money in the form of store credit, but you cannot have your SLR camera back.”

Why not?

“We don’t know, but here’s your store credit on this Best Buy card.”

I was disheartened to say the least. I thought this whole thing a scam, so I sulked over to the new cameras and took a discouraged look at the new models and realized that I’d need to spend another $100 just to break even with the camera recently “not returned to me”.

The sales tax in WA state is an exaggerated 9.5%, so dropping an additional $100 on the camera was strike #2. Then, as if things weren’t disappointing enough, the customer service agent asked if I would like to purchase another 3-year warranty service on top of this purchase for another $159.

I couldn’t take it. I exploded (on the inside) and stood there shaking my head. I told the cashier, “Listen, I feel so ripped off. I gave my camera to you guys for a general cleaning and you tell me you can’t clean it. Then you give me some credit for another camera, but just to break even I have to spend over $350 extra… and I’m only walking out of here with something like the camera I walked in with a month ago. Plus, I’ve been without a camera for over a month… I can’t do this.”

I walked out and was so angry I don’t even remember driving home. I don’t recall how that evening went, but I went to bed fuming at Best Buy.

Then, my brilliant wife said, “Didn’t you just bring that thing in for a standard cleaning? You shouldn’t have lost your warranty or have to pay for a new one.”

Something clicked and I felt the immediate relief. She was right, again… and it gave me the resolve I needed to face the Best Buy fiasco.

I drove to the store around noon. Sat in the car for just a few more minutes and took some time to pray. “Lord, you know my heart. You know that I’m not trying to take advantage of anyone. You know how I feel and that it’s just not right for me to get walked on like this… would you make something happen right now, so that you get the glory for this? Do whatever you’d like, but I need some help. Amen.”

I strolled in through the front doors with a calm mood. I took extra slow breaths and held my chin up with confidence. I saw a manager and went right for the heart.

“Excuse me sir, are you a manager here?”

Yes, may I help you? I explained the entire process while another manager stood close by and listened to the entire explanation. The second manager, Fred T. was quick to nod his head and make direct eye contact with me and the first manager. He slowly let me finish my story, displaying all my receipts and asking if my warranty should have been used like this.

Fred came over and said to his manager, “I’ve worked in customer service far too long, and I clearly know what to do here. Mr. Olson, this is totally a simple fix, and if you don’t mind, I’ll take care of things.”

If I don’t mind?!! I thought I would have to explain the entire thing over again, but before I knew what was going on, Fred walked over to the new cameras, unlocked the cabinet with my newly desired model, reached in and grabbed a new box and told me to follow him.

We walked over to the customer service counter and he said to the cashier, “If you’ll just do A, B, C, and D, in that order, we’ll take care of Mr. Olson and he’ll have an entirely new perspective about Best Buy.

Before I knew it, he was discounting the camera in his hand, applying manager discounts, adding a warranty and… he was engaging me in a conversation about HDR photos and how his sister loves photography and asking how I like to frame pictures and what not.

I stood there… just… utterly amazed. What was this guy doing?!!! This was so easy. Where was this customer service yesterday when I was disappointed, bitter and hurt that they confiscated my original camera and wouldn’t return it to me?

Before I knew it, I walked out of Best Buy with a new DSLR camera, a new warranty and a smile on my face that felt more like raised-eyebrow shock and awe. I got into my car and drove home… not really knowing what was going on and why I was feeling so elated.

The answer is customer service, that’s it. Really… just taking care of service personally for each person in a way that you’d like to be treated. THAT’S ALL IT IS.

Question: Why do we in the church so often forget the need to take care of one another in life?

Why do we treat so many people as if we are right and THEY are wrong, winners and losers, us versus them, black and white? What is it about wanting all kinds of power over people?

Where does the church stand in regard to “customer service”?

Let me clarify. The longer I live into God’s calling on my life as a pastor, the more I discover that people are hurt, angry, disheartened, saddened and jaded by the church. It’s like me walking into Best Buy and having someone confiscate their soul property, jack up the price of peace and demand another warranty of legalism.

It’s no wonder most people feel “ripped off” by the church.

So what do we do now? What can the church do to offer love and care and customer service to a hurting and bitter world?

2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We have become the righteousness of God, through the the reconciliation of Christ, so that we might implore the message of reconciliation to the world. Customer service. Reconciliation. Taking a wrong, a misunderstanding, a jaded customer and making the situation right. That’s our role in the body of Christ.

Manager Fred T., you rocked my world at Best Buy this week. You took me from being totally frustrated at your organization, committing sin in my heart and being ready to chuck the entire experience (like many former church attenders) to believing again.

I saw the reconciliation work of God in you, Fred. You took me from disbelief to belief once again. You took me from division to reconciliation. Your customer service brought me back and it’s something I want believers in Christ to emulate in the church. It’s our role as Christ followers to share the heart of Jesus with others, no matter their painful story, and bring God’s reconciliation into view.

My prayer is that you would receive God’s mercy. That in your hurt, your anger, your pain of the past with the church… that you would experience the customer service of God’s people once again and discover the grace of Jesus in your life and with our community.

4 responses to “Thank You Best Buy. Customer Service Wins…”

Dave

October 8, 2011 at 9:02 am

This is a beautiful story of redemption. I’m absorbed by your story, your true emotions, your connecting with the one you love for discernment, your vulnerability in prayer, and your terrible surprise that God came through in the person of Fred. I’m going to read this again and again. YOU are an authentic pastor/ writer. I love you to the core, not only because I am your mom, but because you bless and reach my heart and teach me and you give GOD the credit. Thank you so much for writing.

Thanks Reid for teaching your dad – again! I prayed for this many times, and God is faithful – for you to be “Fred” to me tonight just when I needed it. ‘Stuff’ may get old at times, BUT with God -“His mercies are new EVERY morning.” (Good thing you waited ’til the morning’ to go back to BB, after the good advice of your wife!) By the way, the auto signing of “Dave” above from our email address, was from your Mom “Joan” obviously. We are both so blessed to listen to and learn from your heart, Thank you for being “Real” – to us and every one else!

Hi Reid,
Hey, it’s just this kind of parallel illustration, just this kind of transparency combined with your gift for writing that allows you to reach so many people with messages that matter. We miss you so much at church, miss your Godly influence, tender heart and sense of adventure with the kids. I had secretly hoped you’d be asked back as senior pastor…..I’m that selfish. But here you are in the 21st century, still guiding through other media and reaching more people every day.